House Republicans Propose Initiative
To Help Protect Social Security Funds

By

Greg Hitt Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated March 25, 1999 4:19 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON -- The Senate opened a partisan debate over the nation's fiscal priorities as GOP unity frayed over how to protect annual surpluses in Social Security.

While still promising to end the longstanding practice of using Social Security as a piggy bank to finance other spending initiatives, House Republican leaders -- publicly breaking with the Senate -- are backing up their rhetoric with a largely toothless enforcement mechanism. Legislation unveiled Wednesday proposes to wall off the Social Security funds; Florida...